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Admiral Codrington London Review
Sadly, while all-night parties and boozy run-ins with the police are something to laugh about when you’re twenty, they become the stuff of disgrace as you get older. And while my early twenties taught me to revere the notion of a consequence-free lifestyle, the time has come for me to start growing up and acting like (yikes!) an adult.
While this paradigm shift may represent the death of idiotic fun, it does not however signal the end of fun as I know it. Rather, it means I’ll be giving up juvenile, asinine, partial-nudity, police-involving fun in exchange for good, clean, mature adult fun.
This lifestyle progression, I figure, also has some perks: adults tend to dine out instead of eating take-away, and they drink nice wines instead of cheap, stale pints. With a picture of adulthood in my head, I set out for some clean, proper fun at The Admiral Codrington in South Kensington.
The Admiral Codrington is a picture of maturity, sophistication and class. The venue is split between a small pub with a heated patio and a full dining room, available by reservation only. There are separate menus for lunch (served in the pub) and dinner, where the selection is fish-friendly – key dishes include cod, salmon, and smoked haddock. In addition to an impressive wine list, The Admiral boasts selections from The Longshot Cellar, a group of fine wines, aged and prepared specifically for the restaurant by Berry Brothers & Rudd. The prices here are a little steep, but then again, there are no bargains in South Kensington.
The pub section of the Admiral is stylishly decorated with plant-lined windows and smart framed prints on the walls. Low couches and small stools provide seating, but when the crowd fills the pub, most people are forced to stand.
The mix at the Admiral seemed grown-up enough: several men wore suits with the classic straight-from-the-office-loosened-tie look, while women wore the latest fashions from the King’s Road. Overall, the people were friendly and slightly older, giving the atmosphere a somewhat contained feel to it. In fact, even when the pub was packed to capacity, there was never a feeling that the crowd was getting out of control. Don’t get me wrong, people were having fun: laughing, chatting and enjoying themselves, but it was, you might say, a very controlled, good time.
So did The Admiral Codrington provide me with the mature outing I was looking for? I’d say yes - a classy venue, mature clientele and decent atmosphere made me feel that this is what a night out should resemble in the grown-up world. In fact, now that I’m reaching the cusp of adulthood, the Admiral gave me hope that many good times lay ahead. Good times that don’t involve tattoos; or the police; or mooning old ladies; or, well, you get the picture.
The Admiral Codrington features in Fluids Guide to the Best Beer Gardens in London. To check out the others, click on: Top Beer Gardens in London.
Christopher Mudry (09 06 2003)
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Average Customer Rating (6 Votes)
Ended up inadvertently at 'The Cod' the other night and contrary to some reviews I’ve seen, I had a perfectly pleasant time (mind you I didn’t eat so can’t comment on that except that the menu looked enticing). Arrived by taxi for some reason and never quite got my bearings as the place seemed to be on a back street next to the rear entrances of some of South Ken’s finer department stalls. Have to say I’ve a soft spot for back alley ‘finds’ and even more so when it’s in parts of London you wouldn’t think they’d reach.
Some people I met there have been going intermittently for years and claimed that Fergie used to hang out here. Not sure if that’s a good sign or not but anyway, it makes for good pub tittle-tattle. Edward Codrington, by the way was a sea Captain during the Battle of Trafalgar and the place is appropriately decked out with nautical and British sporting paraphernalia.”
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Josephine, London (21 08 2006)
I've eaten here several times, the rib-eye burger is probably the best burger I've ever eaten - would definately recommend it. The staff are friendly as is the atmosphere. The prices are typical west end prices.”
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Jeremy, London (13 04 2005)
Went there 30/12/04 for lunch on recommendation of a friend, and was a little disappointed. It was fairly quite and the service was ok. My wife ordered the cod, which was very salty. The restaurant manager replaced it with steamed sea bass which was fine. I am now informed that we were charged an extra £2 for the different meal. That is not good customer relations to my mind. The bowl of chips that went with the meal was allowed to go cold whilst the meal was changed. Perhaps I should have mentioned that as well, but good service should not come from me. Total bill for lunch for two with three large glasses of wine and half a lager was £80, with the 12.5% service charge. If I had known that the £2 had been added I would have reconsidered the payment of the service charge which is optional. Small point but it makes a difference. Doubt if I would go there again.”
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Mike Trotter, Herne Bay, Kent (31 12 2004)
Full of big posh sods with plums in their mouths blithely waving their gold cards about and shelling out £50 for 6 drinks. Rubbish, unless you're a big posh sod.”
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Ben Smith, [ Unknown ] (31 03 2004)
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Extra Info
- Cocktails
- Disabled Access
- Children Allowed